1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to storage cases for use in the bathroom and locker rooms, and in particular, to storage cases for toothbrushes.
2. Description of Related Art
Shared bathroom situations and locker rooms often provide a challenge to sanitary dental hygiene. Angry or prankster co-workers or roommates might accidentally or intentionally drop one's toothbrush in the toilet or on the floor or use it to clean crevices, causing germs and debris to be present on the toothbrush that will then be placed in the toothbrush owner's mouth during daily brushing. A safe and convenient means of storage is therefore needed that will not inconvenience the toothbrush owner yet will still prevent germs and debris from being placed on the toothbrush by others. Well-known solutions for this problem include locked cabinets and the like, but individually-locked cabinets may not be practical in group living situations or in the armed forces or in firehouses and the like, and locked cabinets also present the problem of safe storage of keys while showering.
It is therefore desirable to have a storage case for a toothbrush that can be secured from access by others and that provides convenient and sanitary storage of the toothbrush in group living and group bathroom situations when the toothbrush is not in use. It is further desirable to have a storage case for holding a toothbrush together with a tube of toothpaste for use therewith.
A preliminary patentability search in Class 70, Subclasses 63, 61, 231, 232, Digest 34 and Digest 63; Class 312, Subclasses 206, 207; Class 206, Subclasses 361 and 362.2; Design Class 4, Subclass 108; and text searching on the Patent and Trademark Office EAST database system produced the following patents, some of which may be relevant to the present invention:
Moore, U.S. Pat. No. 1,914,276 (issued Jun. 13, 1933), simply shows a tool rack for locking tools therein. This patent does not show a locking case for housing a toothbrush, and does not suggest that this rack could be used with a toothbrush.
Oshman et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,275,549 (issued Mar. 10, 1942), shows different embodiments of a spring-loaded tooth brush retainer that entraps the head of the toothbrush for hanging the toothbrush on a wall, but there is no suggestion or disclosure of a locking mechanism.
Upchurch, U.S. Pat. No. 2,725,270 (issued Nov. 29, 1955), shows a toothbrush container that serves as a sales package and also a wall holder for the toothbrush, but there is no suggestion or disclosure of a locking mechanism.
Werding, U.S. Pat. No. 3,574,879 (issued Apr. 13, 1971), shows a toothbrush holder for a toothbrush, in which the toothbrush's handle telescopes as the toothbrush is removed from the holder, but there is no suggestion or disclosure of a locking mechanism.
Waltower, U.S. Pat. No. 3,867,823 (issued Feb. 25, 1975), shows a locking key case, but does not show a locking case for housing a toothbrush, and does not suggest that this case could be used with a toothbrush.
Eaton, U.S. Pat. No. 3,894,550 (issued Jul. 15, 1975), shows a cabinet with a time clock for holding dental supplies. A toothbrush is one of the supplies that can be held and, at column 2, lines 28-30, it is disclosed that the door may be provided with a lock.
Hurst, U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,688 (issued Dec. 5, 1989), shows a toothbrush case for holding a toothbrush. The top and bottom of the case are threadedly screwed together, and the head of the toothbrush is retained within a reservoir having a plug (30) that can be unscrewed from the reservoir to fill the case with a sanitizing liquid (see FIG. 5). However, there is no suggestion or disclosure of a locking mechanism for the case.
Claes et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,828 (issued Oct. 22, 1996), shows a locking package for a syringe, and there is no suggestion of storing a toothbrush inside this case.
In addition to these patents found in the preliminary patentability search, other patents are known as prior art.
Dimmick et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,426 (issued Feb. 21, 1989), discloses a barrel-type combination lock that receives a lock element extending from a safety pin housing. Other patents are also known that disclose combination cable locks, and representative patents include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,611,760; 1,222,920; 1,267,894; 1,472,206; 1,627,462; 3,906,758; Hodgson, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,064,715 (issued Dec. 27, 1977); Melnick, U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,403 (issued Aug. 16, 1983); Papandrea, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,543,806 (issued Oct. 1, 1985); and Reichenberger, U.S. Pat. No. 4,597,273 (issued Jul. 1, 1986).
Naito, U.S. Reissue Pat. No. 29,208 (issued May 10, 1977), and Geiger, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,755,248 (issued Jul. 5, 1988), disclose methods and apparatus for manufacturing resealable plastic bags as might be used with the present invention.
Degen, U.S. Design Pat. D479,787 (issued Sep. 23, 2003) discloses a clamp having a suction cup such as might be used with the present invention.
None of these references, either singly or in combination, disclose or suggest the present invention.